CASSAACGCS Hearts Minds Creating a Culture of Caring

CASSA-ACGCS Hearts & Minds Creating a Culture of Caring Conference July 7 -9, 2016 Winnipeg, Manitoba

Social Justice: The Call to Serve One Another Brian Beal, Director of Education Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board, Barrie, Ontario www. smcdsb. on. ca bbeal@smcdsb. on. ca Twitter: @SMCDSBDirector

Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board Our Board’s vision statement: Nurturing faith, illuminating minds, inspiring hearts, and empowering hands ~ we are working together to transform our world.

Partnerships EF Educational Tours www. eftours. ca Jessica Recourt and Wendy Baker Free the Children www. freethechildren. com Me to We www. metowe. com

Board Context • Simcoe Muskoka Catholic DSB – 20, 000 students K to 12 in 51 schools – 9 secondary schools serving 6, 500 students – Approx 300 students self identified as First Nation, Metis, or Inuit – census data suggests approx. 2, 000 students – Situated 2 hours north of Toronto – Mixture of urban and rural schools, with range of socio-economic status

By the numbers… By August 2016, more than 1, 200 students and staff from the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board will have participated in one of the credit-based, experiential learning / social justice trips to Kenya, Ecuador, India, Tanzania, Nicaragua and Ghana.

Program Overview • Students enrolled in two courses: HRE 4 M: HSE 4 M: Senior Religion Social Justice: From Theory to Practice Note: 3 rd credit available in Co-operative Education through Continuing Education

Program Overview • Year long program of discernment, selection, preparation, and learning • Students apply in previous spring, are selected, work together as a team in the summer, in a social justice club during first semester, and enrol in two courses in the second semester

Whole board involvement • This is not a class or school “trip”. Discernment process also for staff, and staff come from all levels of the organization – classroom teachers, educational assistants, office and clerical staff, school admin, plus a variety of centrally assigned staff – this is a whole board experience, that promotes the strategic plan of the board.

Why we do what we do • • We are called to action We are called to social justice We are part of a global Family We model equality We model opportunity We want to model good citizenship We want our students to know and use their voice for the betterment of humanity

Why we do what we do • It’s not about Kenya, Ecuador, Ghana, Nicaragua, Tanzania, or India. • It’s about seeing our neighbour in need answering the call to help. • It’s about helping our students (and ourselves) believe and belong. • It’s about how vast our world is and how small our world is – and preparing our students to embrace their future and to take their place in the world. • It’s about realizing the potential in each one of us to transform ourselves and the world.

2008 – 2009 Journey Kenya St. Joan of Arc Catholic High School

2009 – 2010 Journey Kenya St. Joseph’s Catholic High School Patrick Fogarty Catholic Secondary School

2010 – 2011 Journey Kenya St. Peter’s Catholic Secondary School St. Dominic’s Catholic Secondary School St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School Ecuador St. Joan of Arc Catholic High School

2011 - 2012 Kenya Holy Trinity Catholic HS Patrick Fogarty Catholic SS Jean Vanier Catholic HS St. Joan of Arc Catholic SS Ecuador St. Joseph’s Catholic High School

2012 - 2013 Journey Kenya St. Dominic Catholic SS St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic SS Staff and Friends of SMCDSB Ecuador St. Peter’s Catholic SS India St. Joan of Arc Catholic High School

13 -14 Journey Ecuador Patrick Fogarty Catholic SS Kenya Jean Vanier Catholic HS St. Theresa’s Catholic HS Board / CAS Crown Ward Program Ghana St. Joseph’s Catholic HS St. Joan of Arc Catholic HS

14 -15 Journey Ecuador Holy Trinity Catholic HS St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic SS St. Peter’s Catholic SS Board and Staff Adult Team Nicaragua St. Joan of Arc Catholic SS Tanzania St. Dominic Catholic SS St. Joseph’s Catholic HS

15 -16 Journey Tanzania Patrick Fogarty Catholic SS St. Theresa’s Catholic HS St. Joan of Arc Catholic HS Board / CAS Crown Ward Team Ecuador Jean Vanier Catholic HS

SMCDSB: CAS Partnership More than 150 students in both school boards (public and Catholic) are Crown Wards Credit based program offered in 2014 for students with Crown Ward status …. . students travelled to Kenya in July Credit based Program underway now for students to travel to Tanzania in July.

16 -17 Plans are underway for 2016 -2017: 2 schools to Tanzania 2 schools to China 1 school to Ecuador 1 school to India Adult trip to Tanzania

It’s about the return • We spend one year in preparation, two weeks as guests, and then return to make a difference for a lifetime • We see the world with a new lens, with a new perspective • No participant can return unaffected – but looks at the issues of social justice with renewed passion and commitment

Asante means Thank you • Questions? • Contact: Brian Beal Director of Education Simcoe Muskoka Catholic DSB bbeal@smcdsb. on. ca Twitter: @SMCDSBDirector Asante, Asante sana …. Thank you, thank you very much.